Organic Food vs Conventional Food

Although organic food has become popular in the last two decades, the whole concept is, in fact, much older. Namely, as Alex Oppenheim Omaha, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a degree in biological sciences explains, before the Second World War, all fruits and vegetables were organically grown. After the WW II period, the so-called "assistants" of the conventional mode of cultivation were introduced – which are basically synthetic pesticides and chemicals, aimed to destruct weeds, insects and any other undesirable factors. Now so many are confused about this because we are offered fruits and vegetables in completely different ways.

A lot of people aren’t quite sure as to which type of food is better between organic and our regular conventional foods. For some people, regular conventional food is healthier and more beneficial than organic food, while for others, reverse is the case and there are also a handful of people who are indifferent as to which they prefer. Here is what Alex Oppenheim Omaha had to say regarding this dilemma. “If it fits in your lifestyle and you can afford it, focus on organic. Or, at least, whenever possible,  buy organically grown those foods that contain the most pesticides.”

What is the difference between organic and conventional food?

The difference is quite substantial, notes Alex Oppenheim Omaha.  Primarily, it is reflected in the use of natural fertilizer, as opposed to the chemical fertilizer used otherwise. In conventionally grown food, farmers use synthetic herbicides, while organic breeders use preparations that are made of natural ingredients. Therefore, organic methods leave much less residual in nature. For example, the US Department of Agriculture has signed laws regulating the issue of organic food. According to them, the use of pesticides, additives, and emulsifiers added in the processing process such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and dyes, or sodium glutamate, which are otherwise contained in the food, is forbidden.

The sale of organic food has increased immensely over the past few years, compared to twenty years ago. In the US alone, the revenue generated in 2011, according to official figures, amounted to $ 29 billion. However, the fact is that this amount makes up just 4.2% of the total sum earned from food sales, states Alex Oppenheim Omaha. Although more and more people buy organic food, it often comes misrepresented because of its high price.

When it comes to price and nutritional value of organic food, many are not so sure if the one justifies the other. Despite skepticism, scientific research confirms that small amounts of pesticides and other chemicals have a negative impact on human health. This should especially address the attention of pregnant women and mothers, given that fetuses and toddlers experience these consequences more serious than adults.

Traditional Food Healthier than Modern Food

A recent study found that modern food forms have negative effect on the intestinal microbial activity in children, concluding that traditional diet based on food of plant origin is a much healthier option. As Alex Oppenheim Omaha explains, this survey included children aged 9 to 11, from 17 urban and 28 rural schools. Nutrition information was provided to parents by scientists, including a list of individual dishes, ingredients used and the amount of food consumed at each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner and all meals).The data was collected for seven days, and scientists then calculated for each child the daily intake of energy and nutrients. After that, they took stool sample of each child.

According to the collected data, children from urban areas mostly consumed modern fat-rich foods, while children from rural areas consumed wild non-greasy, mostly plant based. By analyzing the children’s stool samples, scientists discovered that the intestinal microbiota of children from urban areas, compared to children living in rural areas, is less diverse and has low levels of butyrate and propionate. Alex Oppenheim Omaha, an expert in the field of Biological Sciences, believes that the best way to eat healthy is to eat seasonally. Most people have a pretty good idea that fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are good for them. But figuring out what to do with these foods or how to eat them is where a lot of people get wrong.

The samples were further classified into 5 groups according to their metabolic type (MT). The first group of MT1 (17 samples) had high concentration of short chain fatty acids and medium length chains. The second MT2 group (7 samples) had a high level of amino acid. The third group of MT3 (6 samples) had an abundance of arginine, and the fourth MT4 (4 samples) had a low level of metabolite. The fifth group (8 samples) had a high amine level. MT1 and MT4 are children from rural areas, MT2 and MT3 from urban areas, while MT5 includes 3 urban and 5 rural children.

The study concluded that children living in urban areas get up to 35% more than the recommended intake, and plant based foods encourage fermentation of short-chain fatty acids in the colon, protect against fatty foods and reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Last but not least, Alex Oppenheim Omaha stresses that by embracing traditional diet we can rediscover the joy in eating, without the temptation or guilt that is associated with dieting today.

Alex Oppenheim Omaha: Cocoa Superfood and Delicacy

For some of you this might come as a surprise, but cocoa contains three times more antioxidants than green tea. It is rich in minerals that strengthen nails and hair, and detoxifies the liver. It is an excellent source of iron and it protects the body against many types of cancer. And the best part about it is that raw organic cocoa is available in most health food stores.

The Cocoa tree grows in tropical areas of South America, and its fruit is used to produce cocoa powder and everyone’s favorite, chocolate. Raw cocoa beans, as well as chunks or powder, according to Alex Oppenheim Omaha, have valuable nutritional properties, and it is one of the most nutrient-rich foods in the world. There is a good reason why cocoa has been known as a superfood for so many years.

By its composition, cocoa is extremely rich in antioxidants which help the fight free radicals that our bodies generate and are exposed to every day, and polyphenols that are believed to protect against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Another health benefit that Alex Oppenheim points out is connected to the fact that diabetics who regularly consume cocoa have significantly better blood pressure and lower risk of heart disease and heart attack.

Cocoa also contains serotonin and dopamine, which are known as the hormones of happiness, and that is reason enough why you should immediately include this powder food in your daily diet. Packed with antioxidants, phytochemicals, minerals, and other feel good hormones, cocoa along with a healthy diet and exercise can help with preventing cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases.

Alex Oppenheim Omaha stresses that even small amounts of cocoa help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, and lower blood pressure. In addition to that, regular intake of cocoa can improve the overall function of vein and arteries. Apparently, the delicious taste isn’t the only reason why we should all consume cocoa.

Alex Oppenheim Omaha: Successful development of New Biotechnology Products

For many centuries biotechnology has been used by humans, although the first biotechnology product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came out in 1996. Since then, over 120 biologists have been approved. In order to tackle biomedical questions, experts like Alex Oppenheim Omaha have been integrating the sciences and bringing new perspectives from various fields. In addition to years of work, for a successful development of a new biotechnology product it is also required interaction among different kinds of scientists. This way it is possible to develop effective solutions to today’s complex problems.

Over the last few years, modern biotechnology has had a significant progress. Namely, as Alex Oppenheim Omaha shares, in just one decade, biotech managed to grow from being the main area of research in academic laboratories, to being an enabling technology incorporated into many different sectors. Biotechnology has so far been concentrated in the medical field and revolves around drug-directed researches by big pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The second largest application of biotech is in agriculture, which compared to its larger counterpart, has captured the public spotlight to a much greater degree. The last major sector of biotechnology application lies in industry and environmental problems. However, this sector remains to be underappreciated, lacking attention from the media, as well as from financial and policy outlooks.

There are number of ways in which biotechnology can help us improve the production of food, especially in developing countries. As a biological sciences graduate, Alex Oppenheim Omaha states that biotech can help with food’s natural flavors and colors, add new vitamins, nutritional supplements, improve enzymes and emulsifiers, provide more options for evaluating food safety, allow more waste treatment options, as well as safer and “greener” manufacturing processes. In order to create healthier foods, biotechnology is using the biology of taste. As we all know it, there are five different taste categories: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory. Taste receptors allow humans to identify foods with essential minerals and nutrients, and now thanks to modern science and technology breakthroughs, researchers have been able to come up with new ingredients that enhance the taste of foods, and produce food with less sugar or salt, without giving up on the pleasing taste.

Alex Oppenheim Omaha: Biotechnology a Tool for Productivity

In the past few years, biotechnology has been one of the most talked about subjects, as its traits became more and more widely available. Farmers as well as the environment have seen profound benefits from biotechnology. Alex Oppenheim Omaha, biological sciences graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln explains that thanks to this advanced technology, farmers have seen higher crop yields, plus millions of kilograms of pesticides have been eliminated from the environment. In addition to that, we have witnessed a decreased use of fuel use for agriculture.

However, agricultural biotechnology is just one of the many tools that can increase the productivity among farmers and cut down on costs. This will help more people to afford more food and a better quality one. In the hands of small farmers, better seeds can grow more food themselves. Every farmer in the world knows what to do with a seed, and if we take into consideration that about half of the hungry people are in farming families, Alex Oppenheim Omaha believes the key is to provide them access to every tool possible, such as those based on biotechnology.



By now we have learned that innovation is the key to survival of many industries, and in the case of agricultural biotechnology, this couldn’t be closer to the truth. Currently, we are looking for new ways of using our knowledge in order to improve the flavor, texture, nutrition, and other characteristics of foods. Providing enough food for the global demand is directly linked to the question of water resources.

As Alex Oppenheim Omaha states, around 70 percent of the fresh water consumed each year is used for agriculture. Right now, there are global efforts to address drought issues and come up with a plan to grow plants that can handle environmental stress. Plants have their own internal systems developed over time that tells them to shut down when there's a lack of water. Although this is a very important system for protection, unfortunately with some plants the system activates only before its absolutely necessary, leaving no room for future improvement. If scientist can invent a way to buy farmers a little more time before plants shut down for lack of water, they might solve one of the biggest global issues.

Alex Oppenheim Omaha on Agricultural Biotechnology Discoveries

Alex Oppenheim Omaha is a biological sciences graduate with a keen interest in agricultural biotechnology, technology, environmental and agricultural biology. Agricultural biotechnology is a range of tools that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, in order to make or modify products, improve a plant, or develop microorganisms for specific agricultural uses. Modern biotechnology today includes the tools of genetic engineering. Using "biotechnology" or "modern biotechnology, farmers have been produced Many new plant varieties by manipulating the plant's genes through techniques of modern molecular biology. Today, biotechnology includes tools of genetic engineering.

Biotechnology in agriculture has benefited farmers, producers, and consumers, and has made insect pest control and weed management safer and easier, at the same time, safeguarding crops against diseases. That’s way one of agricultural biotechnology principal use is to protect crops from devastating diseases, by providing crops with resistance to viral diseases that otherwise are very difficult to control. By increasing crop quality, farming is becoming more profitable, plus it is simplifying the farmer’s work and improving their safety. Alex Oppenheim Omaha is deeply committed to providing instruments, and technologies that will lead the way to remarkable agricultural discoveries.

Biotechnology has a wide range of use in agriculture. To increase the yield of plant and animal products, while at the same time lowering the costs of production, agricultural biotechnology companies supply farmers with tools. Visionaries like Alex Oppenheim Omaha are providing a wealth of opportunities that help researchers improve the safety of our food supply, unlocking doors and helping in the development of improved plant varieties. These innovations are of extreme importance, as they are allowing farmers to spend less time on managing their crops, giving them more time for other profitable activities. Such crop production options help countries keep pace with food demands and reduce production costs. Farmers across the U.S. have rapidly adopted many of these new varieties. In order to explain this, Alex Oppenheim Omaha uses statistics, and reveals that in 2012, around 88 percent of the corn, 93 percent of the soybeans, and 94 percent of the cotton, planted in the U.S. were varieties produced through genetic engineering.